Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's old House seat is back in Republican hands.

In Texas' District 22, Democratic Rep. Nicholas Lampson has lost to Republican Pete Olson, a Navy veteran.

Lampson won the seat in 2006 after DeLay resigned under a cloud of scandal. He was known as "The Hammer" for being able to enforce party discipline when it came to getting House Republicans to vote. DeLay held the seat for two decades.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Texas Court of Appeals ruled against reinstating a dropped conspiracy charge against former Rep. Tom DeLay Wednesday, but one Democratic-leaning watchdog group is making sure people know "serious criminal charges remain."

"No one should be confused, Tom DeLay remains under indictment for serious criminal activity," Lone Star Project Director Matt Angle said in a statement. "DeLay’s very name has become shorthand for a corrupt public official. If justice is done, Tom DeLay’s future blog postings will be done behind bars."

The Lone Star project says on its Web site that it is unaffiliated with the Democratic Party, but describes itself as a watchdog group on the Texas GOP.

The former House majority leader had been charged with conspiracy to violate the state's election laws in the 2002 election cycle, but a judge threw out the charge after DeLay's defense attorneys successfully argued that the law he was accused of violating was not written until 2003. On Wednesday, the Texas court held up the decision in a 5-4 vote.

In a post on his blog reacting to the ruling, DeLay lashed out at Texas prosecutor Ronnie Earl for raising the charges.

"Ronnie Earle’s politically motivated indictments cost Republicans the leader of their choice, and my family hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees," he wrote. "The damage he has done to my family and my career cannot be rectified, but the courts have recognized a significant portion of the injustice and ruled accordingly."

The Texas Republican, who resigned from Congress last June, still faces criminal charges in association with money laundering.